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The Saxophonist Jan Schulte-Bunert: who never tires of searching, relishes experimenting and is a man with an elegant effortlessness.
CD reviews of EscapadesEscapades
NDR Kultur, 08.05.2013
Schulte-Bunert mastered this virtuosic work with impressive perfection. His soprano saxophone sounds brilliant, also in the high register. As the technical passages become faster, he sounds relaxed and at ease (...)
The first thing one has to do after hearing 'Escapades' is to breath deeply. The electrifying and constant tone-colour changes, together with the virtuosity of the soloist leave you holding your breath, in a positive way of course.
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 02.05.2013
Eskapaden im Orchester
Jede Menge Eskapaden bei der Neuen Philharmonie Westfalen: ungewöhnlich, eigenwillig, schräg, überraschend. Und äußerst wohlklingend. "Escapades" heißt die aktuelle CD, die das Landesorchester in diesen Tagen auf den Markt gebracht hat. Als Solo-Instrument steht das Saxophon im Mittelpunkt.
Ein Instrument, das als Solist eher selten in der sinfonischen Musik zu finden ist. Die neue Scheibe versammelt Werke von drei zeitgenössischen Komponisten, die vor allem die markante, jazzige Klangfarbe des Saxophons mit herrlichen temporeichen Kapriolen, swingendem Drive und effektvollen Kaskaden unterstreichen.
Als virtuoser Meister seines Instruments musiziert Jan Schulte-Bunert gemeinsam mit der Neuen Philharmonie unter der Leitung von GMD Heiko Mathias Förster. Die titelgebenden, dreisätzigen "Escapades" von John Williams (1932), einem der prominenten Filmmusik-Komponisten Hollywoods, basieren auf der Gaunerkomödie "Catch me if you can" mit Leonardo DiCaprio und Tom Hanks. Im ersten Satz hört man die Musiker zischen und mit den Fingern schnippen, die Musik hat lyrisch- verschattete, aber auch einige markante Ohrwurm-Momente. In einem cineastischen Finale triumphieren Vibraphon, Xylophon und Glockenspiel.
Auch Michael Nyman (1944) demonstriert mit seinem einsätzigen Werk "Where the Bee dances" (Wo die Biene tanzt") filmmusikalische, klangmalerische Qualitäten. Erst fängt es ganz langsam an, aber dann ... Aus der scheinbar müden, verschlafenden Biene erwacht ein hyperaktives Insekt, das sich in einer scheinbar atemlos dahin rasenden Musik manifestiert. Eine virtuose, brillante Parade für Orchester und Solist.
Das fast 20-minütige Konzert für Saxophon und Orchester von Andrei Eshpai (1925) aus dem Jahre 1985/86 schließlich stellt die große Bandbreite der stilistischen Möglichkeiten des Saxophons vor. Drei brillant eingespielte Werke, wünschenswert auch für den Konzertsaal.
Bayerischer Rundfunk, 29.04.2013
There are two factors that make this an especially interesting CD. Firstly, the use of the saxophone as solo instrument, quite an exotic instrument in symphonic music up until now; and also the fact that works composed for film have found their way into a symphonic concertante programme.
The best example of this last point, comes from the American film composer John Williams, 5 time Oscar winner for music in“Star Wars” and “Schindler's List”. He is also an excellent orchestrator and someone whose skills are without a doubt head and shoulders above those of his colleagues. Williams is above all a composer who shows with his three movement work “Escapades” (based on the Spielberg film “Catch me if you can”), that his music has substance and the ability to survive not just as film music but also in the concert hall.
The soloist Jan Schulte-Bunert and the Neue Philharmonie Westphalen are the congenial lineup for this programme, especially in the thoroughly inspired interplay. The genre boundaries are playfully overstepped equally by the composers and the musicians. This factor owes much to conductor Heiko Mathias Förster and his wide and varied repertoire.
Rondo, 03/2013
A breakthrough for an exotic classical sound
As Adolphe Sax patented the instrument which carries his name in 1846, he never would have thought that the instrument would make it's living in popular music. It's gradually leaning back towards the classical genre – in these works by classically-trained film composer John Williams, minimalist Michael Nyman and Russian Andrei Esphai (b.1925). An addition to the repertoire of this exotic solo instrument, packed with sonorous and stylistic diversity – fabulously played by the Neue Philharmonie Westphalen and Jan Schulte-Bunert.
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 16.05. 2011
[...] Jacques Ibert's saxophone concerto combines joke with colourfulness, entertainment with demand, enthusiasm with technique, impression with nobleness of sound. It is a transparent work, which the brilliantly qualified Krefelder Jan Schulte-Bunert (“head” of the internationally acclaimed clair-obscur saxophone quartet) took on and showed. With the finesse of a chamber musician, he strolled through the soloistic landscape, always taking care to bring elegance and drive into perfect unison.
Die Rheinpfalz, 22.03.2010
[...] In the concerto for alto saxophone and strings by Wolfgang Hofmann, he adapted to the fantastic soloist, Jan Schulte-Bunert and occasionally allowed the middle voices to groovily articulate [...] The 'Kurpfälzer' demonstrated Alexander Glazunov's saxophone concerto just how tenderly they could snuggle with the sounds of the virtuosic soloist.
Mannheimer Morgen, 24.03.2010
Simply brilliant! After Jan Schulte-Bunert's virtuosic and groovily played encore, even the musicians of the Kurpfälzisches Chamber Orchestra applauded. And for good reason! After all, the last piece before the interval in the Rittersaal of the Mannheimer Schloss was Glazunov's Saxophone concerto in Eb Major, where he astonished the audience by testing out the variety of sounds his instrument could produce.
Der Tagesspiegel, 11.01.2010
The musicians surrounding the Berlin-based soloist Jan-Schulte-Bunert have made a name for themselves as both a stylistically secure and creative group, [...] Hopefully they'll soon play these sorts of works, with the complete Philharmonic in the Main Hall.
Ostthüringer Zeitung, 18.05.2009
Im Zentrum dieses Konzertes stand das Saxofon, das erst seit 1840 existiert und über die Tanzmusik in die Sinfonik einzog. Mit Jan Schulte-Bunert konnte die Vogtland Philharmonie [...] einen Solisten verpflichten, der die Zuhörer mit seinem fulminanten Spiel für das Instrument restlos begeisterte.
Mit einer in allen Lagen nuancierten Dynamik und Tongebung interpretierte Schulte-Bunert poesievoll die russische Melodik im Konzert für Altsaxofon und Streichorchester von Alexander Glasunow. Slawisches Temperament bestimmte die hinreißend interpretierte Virtuosität des Konzertes. [...]
Ihn (Heitor Villa-Lobos) stellten Schulte-Bunert und die VHP mit einer Fantasia für Sopransaxophon und Kammerorchester vor, mit einem dreisätzigen Werk moderner Diktion und faszinierendem Temperament. Auch hier brillierte der Solist wieder mit seinem kolossal flexiblen Spiel. Für den nicht enden wollenden Beifall bedankte er sich mit einer virtuosen Zugabe. [...]
Es gab stehende Ovationen.
Vogtland Anzeiger, 18.05.2009
The fact that Schulte-Bunert currently represents the peak of German classical saxophone and is in demand as a soloist with renowned orchestras was immediately clear: his sound was velvety and in tune, the palette of dynamic possibilities was utilised down to the finest pianissimo and above all, performed in an orchestra-friendly way – that is to say that he was convincing from the very beginning and always aware of a homogenous shared interpretation.
Ostsee Zeitung/Rostocker Zeitung, 25.09.2007
The saxophone soloist Jan Schulte-Bunert also understood how to grab our attention, with his supple sound and a dynamic scale ranging from the softest hum to the strongest penetrating sound. The fugue-like finale in particular brought out the brilliance of his playing, with interplay between elegance and virtuosic fluency.
Norddeutsche Neueste Nachrichten, 24.09.2007
SENSUAL SAXOPHONE – The alto saxophonist Jan Schulte-Bunert was a convincing soloist in the concert at the Rostock Volkstheater. His body flexed, as if he was dancing. He drove the sound forward with his foot. His alto saxophone clattered, smacked and whined. It seemed as if the instrument showed a world of emotions within the shortest period of time. The musician enjoyed himself with his golden companion, as if to say, “not I, but the saxophone is responsible for this sudden and emotional outbreak.”
Jan Schulte-Bunert brought a smile to the face of the audience with his little encore in the large hall of the Rostock Volkstheater. The playing of the saxophonist from Krefeld (b.1976) was the peak of the second philharmonic concert, directed by Japanese guest conductor Ryusuke Numajiri.
His extremely sensual saxophone concerto touched the Rostock audience. At times the unexpected rhythms lifted the solo instrument out of the string texture. At others, it blended into the supple ensemble sound with a whisper. Schulte-Bunert presented himself as an emotional performer, but also a perfect technician in the fast passages.
FonoForum, 2/2006
[...]Jan Schulte-Bunert managed to create a fluid programme curve, in which Milhaud was the scorching conclusion. Up until that point, we were amazed by the jagged ragtime figures in the Fantasies of Hungarian composer Jenö Takàcs, by the blossoming melodies in Schumann's “Fantasie Pieces” op.73 and the elementary art in the all to seldom performed Sonata (1943) by Hindemith.
Rheinische Post, 24.06.2005
Schulte-Bunert played his part on his shining golden alto saxophone, which sounded truly golden. The technically and musically brilliant soloist showed his wonderfully flexible legato playing, succinctly virtuosic arabesques and a jazz-feel for the cadenza-like excursions.
The saxophonist astonished us luxuriously: the cantabile passages were savoured with such a noble sound, the virtuosic passages flawlessly mastered.